Dodoro&寶寶小天地

 
天ㄚ...聽到這個消息真難過，畢竟她是我第一次摸到的野生瓶鼻海豚...希望愛玩的她可以開心的上天堂~再見了!Moko...
http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/7548334/moko-believed-dead/

A dolphin found dead in the Bay of Plenty will undergo DNA tests to determine 
whether it is well-known local Moko, who has entertained beachgoers on the North Island east coast for the past few years.A bottlenose dolphin was found on Matakana beach, north of Mt Maunganui, yesterday.

"Based on the size, markings and teeth of the carcass, we think that this is Moko," Department of Conservation ranger Jamie Quirk said today.

Moko was found to have lost eight teeth during an examination earlier this year, possibly from playing with anchor or mooring chains or ropes. He was last seen about two weeks ago and DOC staff said they had been concerned for him because of the lack of sightings.

DOC spokeswoman Katrina Knill said staff were securing the body to bring it back to the mainland, ahead of an autopsy and DNA testing.

The dolphin was dead before it washed up on the beach, but the cause of death was not yet known, she said.

It could have been there one to two weeks.If the dolphin was found to be Moko, DOC would consult with iwi over a farewell.Mr Quirk had worked with Moko since he turned up on the Mahia Peninsula on the east coast in 2007.

The playful dolphin had been a familiar sight around Gisborne before following a fishing boat to the Bay of Plenty earlier this year.

Moko arrived at Pilot Bay in Mt Maunganui on June 3, but has been seen rarely since.

Marine biologist Amy Taylor, who has been making a film about Moko, told NZPA this afternoon she was about to depart on a boat to help identify the dolphin.

DOC Tauranga area manager Andrew Baucke said Moko was a wild animal and his death could have been caused by any number of factors.

"We'll be taking steps to identify the cause of death and dispose of the body appropriately," he said.

"This is a sad loss. The way that Moko interacted with people really inspired public interest and care for dolphins and marine mammals and their environment in general.